Many business owners will come across a member of staff who tends to possess a negative attitude. Their poor behaviour can badly affect your business through reduced productivity, lack of group morale, increased stress and ultimately higher employee turnover. Allowing negativity to fester is both costly and damaging to your business. That’s why we have listed the steps on how to nip this in the bud before it spreads in the office.
Identify who is being negative
Sometimes it is difficult to ascertain if an employee is being overly negative at work. Occasionally there is a gut feeling that suggests the employee’s work life isn’t going too well. Pay attention to see who is expressing negative energy, a bad attitude and who’s negativity is beginning to rub off on. Once you have identified that person you will need to confront them. Request an infomal meeting with them to discuss the situation and your concerns. Bear in mind that there may be a reason for this behaviour.
Set an example
As their manager you should demonstrate positive behaviour to your employees. If you show negative behaviour then staff may follow suit. Problems and setbacks will always arise in the business world and you need to remind them of this. Reiterate that any problems can serve a learning experience. Therefore the sooner problems can be resolved in a positive matter, the better the work environment for your employees.
Invest in positivity
To reinforce positive behaviours and attitudes amongst staff you could invest in activities or programs. This could include having a games table or employee-of-the-month recognitions. Furthermore you could invest in their health and fitness by providing gym memberships or a weekly masseur to show that you value your staff. This will boost morale and you may be rewarded back with higher productivity levels.
Reinforce positive behaviour
Actively listen to your employee’s thoughts and feelings during the metting and see if you can come up with ways to help them. You could set new goals and help them see things in a more positive light. Explain how theit negative attitude if affecting theirs and their colleague’s work ethic. Ensure your emphasise the need for a positive attitude going forward. Inform them that you will schedule meetings to discuss their progress and make sure you give praise for any positive improvements. That way your employee will feel more valued and may take comments on board in the future.
Everyone can experience a bad day at work but letting their negativity fester will affect your business. In order to prevent your business from suffering you will need to address the person and the issues quickly. You will also need to help boost morale by promoting positivity amongst your staff. If you do this you may find that your staff will reward you back by keeping your business successful.
Have you experienced an employee who had a bad attitude? Please let us know how you dealt with the situation and the outcome:
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